Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tustin, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $4,309 in Tustin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $37,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

210

Cost of Living Index in Tustin, CA
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Tustin, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tustin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,309

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tustin, CA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tustin, CA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,309 in Tustin, CA versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Tustin, CA $4,309
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,936 in Tustin, CA versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Tustin, CA $5,936
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,563 in Tustin, CA versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Tustin, CA $7,563
Phuket $2,845

Living in Tustin, CA is roughly 257% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tustin, CA is 218% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$4.40 ฿147

471.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 $69.5

$32.26 ฿1,078

115.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.76 ฿293

72.03%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$2.83 ฿94.5

102.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.90 ฿30.14

240.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.47 ฿15.56

389.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 $7.26

$2.55 ฿85.2

184.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 $9.74

$3.83 ฿128

154.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.73 ฿57.7

-30.64%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.47 ฿49.11

248.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.51 ฿50.6

216.56%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$2.17 ฿72.7

123.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$19.70 ฿658

-20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$3.34 ฿112

302.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$11.16 ฿373

35.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.85 ฿95.1

61.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.70 ฿56.9

45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.19 ฿73.3

86.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.05 ฿68.4

180.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.45 ฿48.57

153.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.38 ฿46.16

130.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.07 ฿35.69

95.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.51 ฿16.91

431.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$4.26 ฿142

171.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$18.58 ฿621

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.78 ฿59.7

37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.85 ฿95.2

53.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.26 ฿75.6

-9.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.59 $34.59

$22.10 ฿738

56.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.01 ฿101

5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.06 ฿35.34

70.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.77 $29.77

$3.86 ฿129

671.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.45 ฿48.45

3.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.3K $29.3K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

11.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-1.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$214 $214

$96.4 ฿3,221

121.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$86.6 $86.6

$11.04 ฿369

684.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 $71.9

$17.14 ฿573

319.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.4 $96.4

$52.2 ฿1,744

84.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.25 $25.25

$11.16 ฿373

126.25%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 $17.30

$7.81 ฿261

121.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$556 ฿18.6K

163.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K $30.5K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

163.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$64.2 ฿2,146

12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 $41.10

$28.69 ฿959

43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$95.4 ฿3,187

10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$88.0 ฿2,940

67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,131 $3,131

$737 ฿24.6K

324.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$462 ฿15.5K

492.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,420 $4,420

$2,095 ฿70.0K

111.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,160 $4,160

$1,201 ฿40.1K

246.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,723 $7,723

$3,488 ฿116.6K

121.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,320 $5,320

$2,523 ฿84.3K

110.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 $4,945

$501 ฿16.7K

887.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tustin, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tustin, CA

$2.7K 63.6%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 83.1% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Tustin, CA

$453 10.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 40.7% $185

Eating Out

Tustin, CA

$392 9.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 69.1% $271

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tustin, CA

$372 8.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 66.5% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Tustin, CA

$165 3.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Tustin, CA

$131 3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 48.3% $63

Getting Around

Tustin, CA

$55 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 28.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,131 in Tustin, CA and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tustin, CA pays 888% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Tustin, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tustin, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

19:34 7:34 PM

14 h ahead of Tustin, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,665

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Tustin, CA Phuket 14,010 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tustin, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 257% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 888% higher in Tustin, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,131 in Tustin, CA versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,465 in Tustin, CA versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Tustin, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $4,309 in Tustin, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tustin, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tustin, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tustin, CA and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Tustin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.